Ukrainian mum says she feels relieved to be at Suffolk farm

A woman who fled Ukraine with her four-year-old daughter has told how relieved she is to reach the UK.

Masha and Lisa Koloney had been living underground in the Kharkiv metro after Russian troops invaded the city.

She was able to come to the UK because her relative, Sergei Grachev, who lives in Suffolk, arranged their visas.

"I think I'm very lucky," said Ms Koloney. "I think of others, they may not have family somewhere or simply can't leave for some other reasons."

Ms Koloney, 24, and her daughter are now living at Mr Grachev's farm retreat at Shipmeadow, between Beccles and Bungay.

Her father and other family members have stayed in Ukraine, the men having no choice to leave.

Ms Koloney said it was "like a film" when Russian troops invaded her home city, where she was studying psychology at university.

"I was running towards the underground station and there were bombs everywhere," she said.

"I just couldn't believe this was happening in real life."

She said her plan now was to to learn English, then help other refugees settle in.

Her second-cousin Mr Grachev, who is from Ukraine but lived in Russia before moving to the UK, said the support for his relatives was "overwhelming".

"We got a phone and tablet from someone we hardly know and we've been flooded by people saying we can offer a job, we can offer kindergarten, people have been so kind," he said.

He said they were also acting as a "host farm" at their farm retreat, offering free short stays, days out and holistic therapies to Ukrainian refugees based in the South East of England.

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